DCEU movies have a reputation for being self-serious, high-stakes works that value outsized conflicts over fun little adventures, and with the exception of the heavily edited Justice League and the relatively laid-back Suicide Squad, this approach is reflected in each release’s beefy runtime. It’s a trend that Aquaman looks set to continue, with a new report suggesting that James Wan’s film will play for a hefty 143 minutes.
The source for this news is a document from distributor Vertical Entertainment that’s been making the rounds, and if this apparent confirmation is the real thing, then we’re looking at a runtime that fits right in with the previous entries in the franchise. At 143 minutes, Aquaman’s length would be equal to that of Man of Steel and a little longer than Wonder Woman (141 minutes), though not quite as bulky as the theatrical cut of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (151 minutes). Trailing behind the rest are Suicide Squad (123 minutes) and Justice League (119 minutes).
Despite the backlash received by the film’s 5-minute trailer, it looks like this Jason Momoa-led flick should have plenty of spoilers saved for it release. And whatever Aquaman has in store for audiences, it seemed to go down very well with the pic’s first viewers, with several social media users praising the work as the DCEU’s best entry to date. So despite the less-than-dazzling opening weekend predicted for the film a couple of weeks ago, Momoa and Wan may still be able to follow through with their sequel plans after all.
In any case, we’ll find out if audiences think that Aquaman is worth 143 minutes of their time (or however long it ends up being) when the movie hits theaters on December 21st.